Come on, April. For the love of a 6′ tall baby, come the freak on April. Wasn’t she due in February?! Now, now… don’t get me wrong – I feel for our giraffe sister, I really do. But since she sure ain’t havin’ that baby anytime soon, I decided that we needed to have our own giraffe baby. Out of curiosity, anyone know how long a typical giraffe’s labor is supposed to last? Anyone? And I thought my labor was bad…

April’s Baby Giraffe Bookmark Crochet Pattern

You will want to use the Invisible Decrease for the sc2tog (decreases). It helps to create a prettier, smoother decrease transitions when working with amigurumi crochet. You’ll also want to master the Magic Circle for crocheting in the round. You’ll love it, and my method is super easy!

*Work in a spiral, do NOT join at the end of each round
*Use your stitch marker to note the beginning stitch of each row
*Use Invisible Decrease for prettier sc2tog (see video tutorial)

Giraffe Pattern

Antennas
***using brown yarn***
Round 1: Magic circle, 4sc in circle (4)
Round 2: 2sc in each st around (8)
Round 3: sc in each st around (8)
***switch to yellow yarn***
Rounds 4 – 5: sc in each st around (8)
Round 6: sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts (6)
Round 7: sc in each st around (6)
Fasten off first and start on second antenna. When finished with second, do not fasten off. Instead, continue on…

Head
Round 8: attach to first antenna with sc, carefully sc around both antennas (12)
Round 9: sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 2 sts (14)
***add a bit of stuffing to antennas***
Round 10: sc in each st around (14)
Round 11: sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next, sc in last (18)
Round 12: sc in each st around (18)
Round 13: sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next, sc in last (22)
Round 14 & 15: sc in each st around (22)
***if using safety eyes, add them in row 16, about 4 sts apart***
Round 16: sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next, sc in last (26)
Round 17: sc in next 9 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 12 sts, 2sc n next, sc in next 3 sts (28)
Round 18: sc in each st around (28)
Round 19: sc in next 7 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 6 sts, 2sc in next, sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next, sc in last (32)
Round 20: sc in each st around (32)
***see photo depicting this area before moving on, you want the next 8 sts to be centered along the back***

The next portion will become the bookmark itself…
Round 21: sc in FLO of next 8 sts
Row 22: Ch-1, turn. Sc in each to end (8)
STRAP rows 23 – 72 (or until about 9” long): Ch-1, turn. Sc in each st across.
Fasten off and weave in ends, then start on the rest of the head below.

To finish up the face…

Reattach yellow yarn using sc in the BLO of that first st from row 21. Sc in blo of the 8 sts that make up the strap (as pictured) and then in both loops of each st around. DO NOT JOIN

***switch to cream yarn***
Row 23 & 24: sc in each st around (32)
Row 25: sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts (26)
Row 26: sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog in next, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog (19)
Row 27: sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in next st (13)
***add stuffing***
Row 28: sc2tog 6 times, sc in last.
Fasten off leaving long tail, sew the nose closed carefully and as seamlessly as possible.

Take your time with the bottom of the nose if needed. Just a few stitches and she’ll be closed right up.

Ears (make two):
***using yellow yarn***
Round 1: Magic circle, 4sc in circle (4)
Round 2: 2sc in next st, sc in next, 2sc in next st, sc in next (6)
Round 3: *sc in first st, 2sc in next* repeat 2 times (9)
Round 4: sc in each st around (9)
Round 5: 2sc in next 5 sts, sc in next 4 sts (14)
Round 6: sc in each st around (14)
Round 7: sc in first 2 sts, 2sc in next 4 sts, sc in next 8 sts (18)
Round 8: sc2tog in each st around (9)
Rounds 9 & 10: sc in each st around (9)
***fold ears in half to mirror one another and sew onto head**

Tail:
Ch-7, sl st in second ch from hook and in next 5 sts. Fasten off and add to center of bookmark bottom. Add a bit of black yarn to the end, then brush it out (a wire pet brush works great) to make it a fuzzy tail.

Take a bit of black yarn and make two X’s for nostrils. If you like, take a bit of brown felt and cut asymmetrical “spots”. Then use fabric glue (and/or a few stitches with needle and thread) to keep them in place. You.are.done!

Now, can someone make an announcement when April is in active labor? That’d be great. 😉

Forgive me - I'm daft I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t find the feet in the pattern and then realised I was looking at a pic of the head upside down, however My purposefor browsing was to look at patterns I can adapt to 2 fingered puppets. So I might try that if you don’t mind, I will have to add some stitches but we'll see . Thanks for a great pattern anyway!

Making this for my moms birthday because she loves to read and loves giraffes so this is perfect. I’m fairly new to amigurumi but I’m wondering, as I’m finishing up the antennae what do I do with all the tails? I have 2 brown (one from magic circle and one from when I switch to yellow) and one yellow tail. Do I just stuff them in the antennae? Tie them off? Weave them in? They keep getting in the way! Thanks so much!

I made this bookmark for my sister in law who just looooves giraffes.
Mine looks a bit different than yours, so maybe I did something wrong but he looks cute anyway. The head is slightly bigger
I love your patterns and will for sure make another one too.

Giraffes are pregnant anywhere from 13 to 15 months. I believe April's watch started in February which could of been 13 months....Babies are 6ft tall and about 150 lbs at birth. Love this bookmark
Thanks Laura Hall

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Hi! I’m Ashlea, the Kansas mom, and wife, that runs this crochet, food, and heart (CHD) blog. I am a frugal, yarn loving crochet addict that enjoys good food and fine wine – or an occasional whiskey. 😉 Read more about me here.

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